2023-2024

Directors and Leadership Team

 
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Rose Hollingsworth

Co-Director - Columbia ‘24

Rose Hollingsworth is a senior at Columbia College studying biology on the premed track. For a majority of her life, Rose has trained pre-professionally with Charlotte City Ballet. She has attended summer intensives with American Ballet Theater in New York, Alonzo King Lines Ballet in San Francisco, and Corella Dance Academy in Barcelona, Spain. She has danced with Columbia Repertory Ballet for the entirety of her first year at Columbia.

 

Kelly Tian

Co-Director - Columbia ‘24

Kelly Tian began dancing at the age four at America’s Ballet School and continued on to train at the pre-professional level in ballet, modern, contemporary, improvisation, and choreography. Alongside her training, she also danced with Tampa City Ballet as a Trainee. Upon graduating, she went on to dance with Dance Alive National Ballet as a member of the Corps de Ballet. Kelly is now a senior at Columbia University majoring in Math/Computer Science. She currently dances with Columbia Repertory Ballet and Columbia Ballet Collaborative.

 

Tim Hartshorn

Assistant Director - Columbia ‘25

Tim is a junior in the School of General Studies planning to study either Sustainable Development or Urban Studies. Originally from Boston, he trained for nine years at the Brookline Ballet School and danced for two years with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Trainee/Graduate Student Program. Tim has spent summers at San Francisco Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and Kansas City Ballet and has danced with Columbia Repertory Ballet and Columbia Ballet Collaborative during his first year.

 

Katherine Kuckhoff

Assistant Director - Columbia ‘25

Katherine began her pre-professional ballet training at Atlanta Academy of Ballet and Dance in Northwest Georgia under the direction of Susan Banks-Beebe. During her time there, she competed in multiple competitions including American Dance Competition and Universal Ballet Competition. In the summer of 2017, Katherine was offered a trainee position with the Philadelphia Ballet, where she trained for the next two years under the guidance of Samantha Dunster and James Payne. In the Spring of 2019, Katherine was offered a second company position with the Nashville Ballet. Katherine’s repertory consists of The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, The Sleeping Beauty, as well as various contemporary works. Katherine is currently pursuing a neuroscience degree and is ecstatic to be able to further her education while continuing to dance here at Columbia.

 

Francesca Siudela

Assistant Director - Columbia ‘25

Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Francesca began dancing at the age of three. In 2014, she started training at West Point Ballet under the direction of Cynthia Castillo and Damien Martinez Coro. Upon graduation from high school, Francesca danced alongside Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre in several of their professional productions, including The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and Giselle. She has competed at several ballet competitions, such as the International Ballet Competition, World Ballet Competition, and the Youth American Grand Prix where she was awarded Top 10 for both classical and contemporary solos. Francesca spent many summers training at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Milwaukee Ballet, Philadelphia Ballet, Orlando Ballet, and Ellison Ballet. Francesca plans on majoring in biology and is very grateful for the opportunity to continue her studies at Columbia.

Elizabeth Hasapis

Assistant Director - Columbia ‘25

Elizabeth Hasapis is a junior in Columbia College double majoring in English and Psychology. She began dancing at age four and later trained pre-professionally at the School of American Ballet (SAB) for ten years before graduating in 2021. Early in Elizabeth’s time at SAB, she performed children’s roles in the New York City Ballet’s productions of The Sleeping Beauty, Coppélia, Harlequinade, Mozartiana, and George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker. Elizabeth later performed in excerpts from The Sleeping Beauty and Balanchine’s La Source as part of SAB’s annual Workshop Performances. In addition to her training at SAB, Elizabeth has attended summer programs at Miami City Ballet, Chautauqua Institution, Pacific Northwest Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, and Boston Ballet. She currently dances with Columbia Repertory Ballet and Columbia Ballet Collaborative.

 

Tatiana Heintz

Leadership Team - Columbia ‘26

Tatiana began her dance training at Stowe Dance Academy in Stowe, Vermont at age three. During the course of her fifteen years at Stowe Dance Academy, she primarily trained in ballet and contemporary at the pre-professional level. Over the summers, Tatiana had the opportunity to train at Boston Ballet, Alonzo King Lines Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, and American Ballet Theatre. Tatiana Heintz is now a sophomore in Columbia College studying Dance and Economics and has danced with Columbia Repertory Ballet and Columbia Ballet Collaborative.

 
 

Alice Liu

Leadership Team - Columbia ‘26

Alice grew up in Princeton, New Jersey where she trained in classical ballet at Princeton Ballet School starting at age 6. In 2018, she began attending St. Paul’s School (NH) where she was a member of the St. Paul’s School Ballet Company (SPSBC). There she trained under the direction of Kate Lydon. In addition to furthering her classical studies, she began choreographing for the SPSBC, premiering four works before her graduation in 2022. Alice attended summer intensives at American Ballet Theatre, the Royal Ballet School, Boston Ballet, and Princeton Ballet School. Alice is now a sophomore at Columbia University double-majoring in Computer Science and Economics. She is grateful for the opportunity to further her studies both academically and artistically.

 

Carolina Rivera

Leadership Team - Columbia ‘26

Carolina trained pre-professionally at Greenwich Ballet Academy (GBA) from where she graduated in June 2022. Carolina has performed many leading roles in GBA productions including the Don Quixote Act 3 Pas de deux, the Grand Pas de deux from Le Corsaire, and both the Snow and Sugar Plum Grand Pas in The Nutcracker, with guest partners from American Ballet Theatre and Dance Theatre of Harlem. Carolina competed as a soloist for six years in many prestigious dance competitions receiving multiple top placements and awards, including: a Silver Medal at The Connecticut Classic and Top 12 placements at Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) and Universal Ballet Competition in both classical and contemporary divisions. In 2021, Carolina placed 1st and 2nd in the Duo category at UBC and YAGP respectively; and in 2022 following top placements, she received an invitation and participated in the YAGP Tampa Finals as part of a duo and a small ensemble. At competitions, Carolina has been awarded scholarships to New York Dance Project and International Ballet Intensive. Carolina attended the Boston Ballet Summer Intensive, Houston Ballet Academy’s Summer Intensive program and Ellison Ballet Summer Intensive program in New York City. Carolina is currently a sophomore in Columbia College and is excited to be joining CRB’s Board of Directors.

 
 

 Advisory Board

Maria Sol Blankemeyer

Advisor, Former Co-Director ‘21-‘22 - Barnard ‘23

Maria Blankemeyer was born in Monterrey, Mexico, where she began her ballet training at the Escuela Superior de Música y Danza de Monterrey. Upon immigrating to the United States in 2011, she continued her training at Ballet Austin and attended summer intensives at Ellison Ballet, Boston Ballet, and Oregon Ballet Theatre. Maria is currently a junior at Barnard studying chemistry.

 

Maki Ishibashi

Advisor, Former Co-Director ‘21-‘22 - Columbia ‘23

Maki Ishibashi was born in Tokyo, Japan where she began ballet recreationally at the age of three. Upon moving to the United States in 2007, she joined the CityDance School and Conservatory in Rockville, Maryland where she continued her ballet and contemporary training. She has spent her summers at both ballet and contemporary intensives, such as Boston Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet Academy, Gelsey Kirkland Academy of Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and the Juilliard School of Dance. She is currently a junior at Columbia College majoring in biology and on the pre-med track. She has performed with two student run companies - Columbia Repertory Ballet and Columbia Ballet Collaborative.

  • Annie Lewandowski

    FORMER CO-DIRECTOR (‘22)

    Annie Lewandowski is a senior at Columbia College studying Russian and following the Pre-Med track. She has been dancing ballet for most of her life, training at the Ohio Conservatory of Ballet and dancing with the Stabrova Youth Ballet. She has participated in the Bolshoi Ballet’s summer programs in both New York and Russia, and has danced with Columbia Ballet Collaborative and the Columbia Repertory Ballet during her first two years at Columbia.

  • Sandy Zeng

    FORMER CO-DIRECTOR (‘21)

  • Paige Hinkley

    FORMER ASSISTANT DIRECTOR (‘21)